Clark & Stevens has served Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry for over 30 years. The firm handles estate planning, wills, family trusts, living wills, medical powers of attorney, probate, long-term care planning, tax planning, and asset protection.
Bluffton is in Beaufort County.
More Tax Planning Firms in Beaufort County
Minor, Haight & Arundell, P.C.
1000 William Hilton Parkway, Suite 203, Village at Wexford, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
Minor, Haight & Arundell is a Hilton Head Island firm serving Hilton Head, Okatie, Bluffton, and the rest of Beaufort County. Its tax and estate planning practice assists individuals and businesses with estate planning, probate, tax preparation, and audit representation, alongside real estate and civil litigation. The firm offers legal services in Spanish and Greek.
Probate in Beaufort County
Probate Court Record
Beaufort County Probate Court
Beaufort County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
102 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902
Website
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
How to file probate in Beaufort County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Beaufort County? →Settling an estate in Beaufort County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in South Carolina
Free South Carolina forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for South Carolina.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In South Carolina, a will is signed before 2S.C. Code § 62-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyS.C. Code § 62-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In South Carolina, a pour-over will is signed before 2S.C. Code § 62-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in South Carolina
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in South Carolina: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
South Carolina levies no estate or inheritance taxNo state estate or inheritance tax. S.C. Code Ann. § 12-16-510(A) still imposes an estate tax "in the amount of the federal credit," but § 12-16-20(2) measures that credit by IRC § 2011, which EGTRRA (P.L. 107-16 § 532) phased out for deaths after 12/31/2004 — so the levy computes to $0 (an inert pick-up tax left on the books, never repealed). SCDOR: "South Carolina has no Estate Tax for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2005." No inheritance tax and no state gift tax (neither exists in Title 12).Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; only the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?
South Carolina imposes no inheritance or estate taxNo state estate or inheritance tax. S.C. Code Ann. § 12-16-510(A) still imposes an estate tax "in the amount of the federal credit," but § 12-16-20(2) measures that credit by IRC § 2011, which EGTRRA (P.L. 107-16 § 532) phased out for deaths after 12/31/2004 — so the levy computes to $0 (an inert pick-up tax left on the books, never repealed). SCDOR: "South Carolina has no Estate Tax for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2005." No inheritance tax and no state gift tax (neither exists in Title 12).Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate.
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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?
Inherited assets in South Carolina take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death26 USC § 1014Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the gain on a later sale faces state tax on the 56% of long-term gain left after a 44% exclusionS.C. Code Ann. § 12-6-1150 (44% net capital gain deduction)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Calculate the Tax
When Do I Have to Withdraw an Inherited IRA?
See which federal withdrawal rules apply to an inherited IRA, Roth IRA, or employer plan, the deadline year, and the missed-withdrawal tax.
Check the Rules
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in South Carolina runs $4,150Estimate: 10 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,225Estimate: 15 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,122Estimate: 3 hours at $374, Clio's South Carolina Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,244Estimate: 6 hours at $374, Clio's South Carolina Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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